Folding box



April 12, 1932. v j p F v 1,853,285

" I FOLDING Box Filed Jan. 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor PAUL H- PuFFER Attorneys April 12, 1932.

P. H. PUFFER FOLDING BOX Filed Jan. 16, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 is z/ E Lg. 5

Inventor FA UL. H. PuF'FER Asborne-qs Patented Apr. 12, 1932 umran srarss r er ear orr iica PAUL H, PUEFERg. OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR 'IO BUFFER-HUBBARD MFG. 00., OF -MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA,

romaine BOX Application filed January 16, 1928. Serial No. 247,072.

My invention relates to the type and constructienof folding box shown and described in Letters 'Patent of the United States No. 606359, issued June 28, 1898 to Arthur 0.

6 .Hubba-rd. The box shown and described in this patent is comparatively deep and the bottom thereof-is raised above the floor and there isdanger of crushing it when heavy articles are dropped into the box or when from any cause a considerable downward pressure is applied to the bottom of the box in its unfolded or open position. 7

Furthermore, with a bottom made in one piece, and with walls of less height than the width of the box bottom, the bottom when the box is folded will project beyond the walls and not only'be in danger of becoming broken, but will prevent the compact and close piling of the folded boxes one upon another, and when a comparatively shallow box of this kind ismade of normal size or perhaps larger than the normal size, the difliculty will be emphasized as the folded box bottom will protrude from between the walls farther than ever and increase the danger of breakage, andthe difiiculty of stacking the folded boxes.

The primary object therefore of my invention is to provide a shallow box of this type having a bottom of such construction that it will not protrude beyond the walls of the box when it is folded.

A further object is to provide a box of this type in which the bottom is so arranged or' placed that the load in the box or downward pressure on the bottom willbe transmitted .to and taken up directly by the fioor on which the box may be standing,

The invention consists generally of various constructions or combinations, all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a. view looking at the side of the box in its folded position;

Figure 2 is an edge view of the box folded;

Figure 3 is atransverse sectional view; v

Figure 4 is a bottom view showing the manner of supporting the hinged sections of the bottom Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view showing the preferred manner of hinging the bottom sections to the side walls; and

Figure dis a detailed view'showing the manner of stacking the boxes when unfolded one upon another.

In the drawings, 2 represents the side Walls and d the end walls of the boxes. These Walls are composed of narrow strips placed one upon another, edge to edge and at the corners plates 5 and 6 areprovided seated on the edges of the strips and between the abutting strips and secured together and to the strips by lacing wires 7, 8, 9 and 10. These wires lace the strips composing the walls firmly together, provision being made at the corners for hinging the abutting ends of the strips together to allow for the convenient folding and unfolding of the box, all as described with reference to'the Hubbard patent above referred to. Evidently in making this Hubbard box, the bottom composed of a single section would. protrude beyond the walls when folded and be in danger of break-y age, and this objection would be'emphasized' in a shallow box. I therefore provide a bottom in two sections 11 and 12, each composed of a series of narrow strips laced together by means of lacing wires 13 and 14 andconnected to the side walls ofthe box by suitable hinges preferablycomposed of wire loops l5 and 16, which I extendtransverselythrough the outer strip of each bottom section, the loop 15 having an offset 17 therein and con-1 nected with the loop16 by a suitable link 18.- This hinge will allow the bottom section to swing down to a position at right angles to theside' wall or it may swing to a vertical position against the side wall and be concealed between the walls of the box when it is folded. I I

The position of the loops and linksfor -v ing these hinges is indicated by dotted lines, in Figure 4 where the loops are shown extended entirely through the outer strip'of each section and located therein-r These hinges and their connection with the side walls I prefer to conceal by means of angle plates 19 which fit snugly against the lower edge of the side Wall strips and are secured to the strips by suitable means such as rivets 20. The lower flange of each of these angle plates extends across the lower edge of the ottom strip on each side of the box overlapping the joint between the bottom section and the side wall and protecting the hinges against damage and at the same time forming suitable runners on which the box may be conveniently moved, and also forming a support for the bottom section.

also prefer to provide each bottom section at the ends thereof with plates 21 which bridge the joints between the strips composing each bottom section and are rigidly secured thereto by suitable means such as rivets 22.

. Iv prefer also to provide comparatively small plates 23 through which the lacing wires 14 are passed, said plates being firmly clamped against the opposite adjacent edges of the bottom sections, and I may prefer, where the plates 21 are used, to omit entirely the lacing wires 13 and 14 as I may find the plates 21 suflieient to hold the strips in their proper relative position.

On the end walls of the box I prefer to provide angle plates 24 secured thereto by suitable rivets 25, and having their lower horizontal flanges projecting inwardly a sufficient distance to receive the plates 21 and form stops to limit downward movement of the bottom sections. These flanges will rest upon the floor when the box is unfolded and the sections contacting with these flanges will transmit the load of the articles in the boxes, or downward pressure on the bottom sections, directly to the floor on which the box may be standing. There will therefore be no danger of crushing or breaking the box bottom whenever heavy articles are placed in the box or an excessive downward pressure is exerted on the bottom sections.

When the box is folded, it will assume the "position indicated in Figures 1 and 2, the

' narrow bottom sections being held between the side walls of the box and entirely concealed, and there will be no danger of the bottom being broken or damaged while in its folded condition, and the folded box, as shown plainly in Figure 1, will be substantially symmetrical in form, there being no projections or extensions that would interfere in any way with the close compact stacking or packing of the folded boxes. Hereto ore it has been impractical to make a large shallow box on account of the single bottom projecting out so far when the box was folded, the projection being in great danger of damage, and furthermore, it interfered very seriously with the compact stacking or piling of the folded boxes. Furthermore the large box bottom particularly could not stand a heavy load or excessive downward pressure, as it had no support of the floor beneath.

' \Vith my present structure, however, the supporting flanges of the bottom sections are mounted on the lower edges of the walls where they will not only form runners for the boxes, but will contact with the floor and transmit the load on the bottom sections directly thereto. Hence there will be practically no danger of damage to the box bottom even though the box may be filled with heavy articles or an extreme downward pressur may be exerted on the bottom. I

The upper walls of the box as indicated at 26 are recessed at the corners to receive the plates which cooperate with the lacing wires to secure the sections composing the walls together, and these plates are below the upper edges of the walls so that when the unfolded boxes are stacked one upon another, the angle runner plates on the bottom of one box will rest evenly upon the top of the box beneath, thus providing a substantial support and preventing the pile of boxes from tilting. I prefer also to provide slots 27 near the ends of the plates 19 to receive staples or other suitable dowels 28 that are mounted in the upper edges of the boxes, so that when the boxes are piled one upon another, the dowels of one box will enter the slots in the plates of the box above, and prevent the boxes from sliding laterally one upon another and hold them in their proper relative position.

In various ways the details of construction herein shown and described may be modified and still be within the scope of my. invention.

I claim as my invention:

A folding box comprising sideand end Walls hinged together at the corners of the box whereby said walls may be folded together in parallel relation, a bottom composed :of two sections hinged to opposite walls of the box and adapted to swing into the box between said walls, and angle iron rails secured to the outer lower portions of the end and side walls between the corners of the box and having their horizontal webs extending inwardly beneath the lower edges of said walls and projecting beyond the inner surfaces of said walls to form ledges adapted to support the bottom sections, when the box is set up, said angle iron rails also providing runners for the box.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of January, 1928.

PAUL H. PUFFER.

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